American Wanderings

Some of my earliest memories are road trips with my family. Leaving before sunrise, I’d take the middle seat so I could look out the window as dawn approached. The proud morning light cut through the tree lined highways, and was scored to the tune of my little sister snoring. Even at that early age, the wonder of what could be around the next bend was consuming.

As I grew older, I was fortunate enough to find jobs that allowed me to travel abroad, but the desire for motion proved so overwhelming that I began exploring the unknown nooks of my own backyard. The American Wanderings Project was born out of my manic need to seek out places I haven’t seen. It’s based on the curiosity of what happens when you take the long way, and dare to talk to a stranger just to hear their stories. I’ve lived in tents, slept in cars, on couches, and ended up building a tiny apartment into a van just so I could rove more. In the end, I’m realizing I don’t see a finish line, but a continuance of a journey that’s allowing me to see the occasionally overlooked, but often remarkable tiny moments that exist off our common highways. This project is my vehicle for learning about the complex spirit of my homeland.

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Newspaper man. Downtown LA

Randy Beckett. Country Musician. Los Angeles, CA. Part of the My America Series.